“Did you want me to break up with Tyler?”
Daniel took his time answering.
“I wanted you to understand that you had a choice. I wanted you to know that you could love somebody, feel sorry for them, and still decide they weren’t the right person for you.”
“Even if I still liked him?”
“Especially then.”
Emma leaned back in her chair.
“I think I understand now.”
Daniel kissed the top of her head.
“Good. But remember something else. You’re fifteen. You don’t have to know everything about love yet. You’re allowed to make mistakes, change your mind, learn, and grow. The important thing is that you never believe you have to become ashamed of yourself to make somebody else comfortable.”
Emma looked at her portrait again.
Then she added one final detail: a wide, open smile, with every tooth visible.
When she finished, she placed the picture on the refrigerator.
